Acacia cyclocarpa

Last updated

Ring-pod minni-ritchie
Status DECF P3.svg
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Acacia
Species:
A. cyclocarpa
Binomial name
Acacia cyclocarpa
Acacia cyclocarpaDistMap248.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]

Acacia sp. Pitta Creek (M.D.Barrett 1840)

Acacia cyclocarpa, commonly known as ring-pod minni-ritchi, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is a sprawling, low-lying to semi-erect shrub with narrowly linear phyllodes with a small point on the end, oblong to short-cylindrical of light golden yellow flowers and leathery, strongly curved pods, forming an open circle or coil.

Contents

Description

Acacia cyclocarpa is a sprawling, low-lying to semi-erect, sticky shrub that typically grows up to 0.6 m (2 ft 0 in) and 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) wide, and has minni ritchi style bark at the base of mature stems. Its branchlets are terete, finely ribbed and usually glabrous. The phyllodes are narrowly linear or sometimes linear to elliptic, 50–85 mm (2.0–3.3 in) long and 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) wide with a fine, nornally curved point on the end. There are reddish brown, triangular stipules at the base of the phyllodes. The flowers are light golden yellow and borne in oval to short-cylindrical spikes 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) long and 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) wide. Flowering mainly occurs in the west season from January to April, and the pods are strongly curved into an open circle or coil, 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) wide, glabrous and very sticky. The seeds are oblong, 4.5–5.0 mm (0.18–0.20 in) long and very dark brown to blackish except dull cream-coloured at the centre. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

Acacia cyclocarpa was first formally described in 2013 by Bruce Maslin, Matthew David Barrett and Russell Lindsay Barrett in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected in 1974 by Alex George in the Prince Regent Nature Reserve. [3] [6] The specific epithet (cyclocarpa) means 'circle-fruited'. [7]

Distribution and habitat

Ring-pod minni-ritchi grows in usually large populations of scattered plants in skeletal sandy soils over broken sandstone scattered over several kilometres in the north-west Kimberley bioregion region. It grows in association with Acacia orthocarpa , A. prolata , Auranticarpa resinosa , Borya subulata , Eucalyptus miniata , E. phoenicea , E. rupestris , Owenia vernicosa and Triodia claytonii . [4]

Conservation status

Acacia cyclocarpa is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, [5] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations, but is not under imminent threat. [8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Acacia cyclocarpa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Acacia cyclocarpa Maslin, M.D.Barrett & R.L.Barrett". Wattle - Acacias of Australia. Lucid Central. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 Maslin, Bruce R.; Barrett, Matthew D.; Barrett, Russell L. (2013). "Maslin, B.R., Barrett, M.D. & Barrett, R.L. (21 November 2013), A baker's dozen of new wattles highlights significant Acacia (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) diversity and endemism in the north-west Kimberley region of Western Australia". Nuytsia. 23: 552–555. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia cyclocarpa". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Acacia cyclocarpa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. ↑ "Acacia cyclocarpa". APNI. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  7. ↑ George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 179. ISBN   9780645629538.
  8. ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
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